This is the Winter 2018 course discussion blog for and by UCLA students enrolled in LGBTQ Studies 183: Queer Arts in LA.
This course includes a creative component. When this course was first offered during the Fall 2012 quarter, the students researched queer artists who have a significant connection to Los Angeles. Then created a collaborative website.

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Thursday, February 2, 2017

Part III of Gay L.A.

Hey guys!

As I finished part III of Gay L.A., multiple things stood
out to me. First off, this was definitely my favorite section of the textbook
as we are introduced to many different things. We are taken through a new point
in time where LA was the place to be for the LGBTQ community. They gay
liberation movement began to flourish and offered people of this community a
sense of belonging. The text goes on to describe that these individuals were
now able to build themselves daytime lives like the rest of the community.
There were a fruitful number of institutions created in order to make the LGBTQ
community more “at home”.

The birth of religious institutions in L.A., like the MCC
(Metropolitan Community Church) that provided the queer community with
spiritual belonging. Not only did it grant them a spiritual community, but the
MCC was the largest employer of gays and lesbians. This became a sort of
sanctuary for them, as the leader of this church, Mr. Perry fought for their
rights every day.His mindset was to never
take the backseat , which was inspiration and a reflection of the black
community. Reading about the MCC was definitely my favorite aspect, because I
could only imagine how amazing it was for these people to have a place where
they felt fully comfortable to express themselves.

The church received hate mail almost every single day in
stacks the size of bricks, crimes of arson began to breakout; however, this
made them stronger. In conclusion, this part of the reading truly stood out to
me and made an impact on the way I view gay history in L.A.